e in 1579-80, that
we cannot resist its transcription. "We passed the greater portion of
our time at Nerac," she says, "where the Court was so brilliant that we
had no reason to envy that of France. The sole subject of regret was
that the principal number of the nobles and gentlemen were Huguenots;
but the subject of religion was never mentioned; the King, my husband,
accompanied by his sister,[14] attending their own devotions, while I
and my suite heard mass in a chapel in the park. When the several
services were concluded, we again assembled in a garden ornamented with
avenues of laurels and cypresses upon the bank of the river; and in the
afternoon and evening a ballet was performed." [15]

It is much to be regretted that the royal biographer follows up this
pleasing picture by avowals of her own profligacy, and complacent
comments upon the indulgence and generosity with which she lent herself
to the vices of her husband.

The temporary calm was not, however, fated to endure. Marguerite, even
while she indulged in the most unblushing licentiousness, was, as we
have already stated, devoted to the observances of her religion; and on
her first arrival at Pau she had requested that a chapel might be
provided in which the services of her church could be performed. This
was a concession which Henry of Navarre was neither willing nor indeed
able to make, the inhabitants of the city being all rigid reformers who
had not yet forgiven the young monarch either his enforced renunciation
of their faith or his Catholic marriage; and accordingly the Queen had
been compelled to avail herself of a small oratory in the castle which
would not contain more than six or eight persons; while so anxious was
the King not to exasperate the good citizens, that no individual was
permitted to accompany her to the chapel save the immediate members of
her household, and the drawbridge was always raised until she had
returned to her own apartments.

Thus, the arrival of Marguerite in the country, which had raised the
hopes of the Catholic portion of the population, by no means tended to
improve their position; and for a time her co-religionists, disheartened
by so signal a disappointment, made no effort to resist the orders of
the King; but on the day of Pentecost, 1579, a few zealous devotees, who
had by some means introduced themselves secretly into the castle,
followed the Queen to her oratory, where they were arrested by Dupin the
royal sec